Telephone-call-registering device.



V. THOMPSON.

TELEPHONE CALL REGISTERING DEVICE.

APPLlcAYmN mso ocT. I3, |914.

Patented .lune 1, 1915.

FFICE.

VICTOR THMPSON, OF VANCOUVEE, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

TELEPHONE-CALLBEGISTERINQ DEVICE.

Speclcation of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1915.

Application led october 13, 1.914. Serial No. 868,538.

To all w11 om 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Vieron THOMPSON, a subject of the Ising of Great Britain, and a resident of the city of Vancouver, in the lrovince of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone Call- Registering Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in telephone call registering devices, and the object of my invention is to devise a simple and inexpensive means capable of being connected to an ordinary telephone circuit and the use of which makes it impossible for the user of a tele hone to make a call without first paying fbi same, thereby eliminating entirely the monetary low which is suffered by telephone companies at the present time due to unpaid calls, since with my device every call is paid for in advance. The leakage in such calls obtaining at the present time is thus prevented, in'consequence o which the returns to the company are greater, making it possible to carry out improvements in the system which will be mutually beneicial to both the company and the general ublic. I attain this object by the means i lustratcd in the accompanying drawings in which" Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device, the box being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a plan View, the cover being removed. Fig. 3 is a front end view, the cover being removed. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating in its simplest form the manner in which my device operates.

Similar gures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

1 is a box of suitable material and dimensions which incloses the mechanism of my device, which box may have a hinged lift-up cover 1, such as shown in Fig. 1.

2 is the base on vvhich the mechanism ia supported, which base may be of any sultable materialand which is removably carried'in the box 1, asshown in Figs. 1, 2,

vand.

"'3 'and 4 are upwardly extending brackets secured:oppositely to each other on each side ofthe basev 2.

5 's a lshaft'rotatably supported inthe 3' and 44 6 is a ratchet wheel secured to the shaft 5.

7 is an electro-magnet secured to the base 2.

8 is a lever swingably carried by the shaft 5, which lever extends backwardly so that its outer end is approximately above the center of the magnet 7 and normally free therefrom. f

9 is a pawl swingably carried b the lever 8 and normally in engagement wi the teeth of the wheel 6, being held inl lace by means of the spring 10, one end of w ichis secured to the lever 8 while its free end bears against the back of the paWl 9.

11 is a vertical post member securedv'at its lower end to the base 2 and having a Stop portion 12 formed ata lsuitable position and the lever 8, the purpose. of which spring is to return the lever 8 to its normal position after having been depresse@ as more fully hereinafter described. '"`""f- 111 is a table of electricalconducting material, swingably supported. at a suitable height above the base 2 in any suitable manner, such as by hinging its innerendto the bar 15, which bar is secured tothe base 2.

16 are slots formed in the table 14. 17 is a spring member securedto thebase by one end,fits other end engaging the table 14 on the underside so as to koe the table in ran approximately horizonte when free of anyIweight thereon, as hereinafter mentioned, while at the same time'per'-V mitting it to be depressed bythe weight of a suitable coin when the same is .placed 0n the table. l V

18 is an electrical terminal secured to the base 2 and positioned under the end of table 14. This terminal is provided. with a threaded portion'lfi) carryingan interio'rly threaded caph20`, on the point Aof.whi :h the table 14 rests' lwhen in thedepressed position,'and `which ce maybe screwedupwardlyor downwar ly to varythejdistance between ityand the table when ,the table is in thehorigoitalf'position. i

` 21 is a lchute.securedto the in auch a 'lov position y the o ening 22 provided for that purpose will all on to the chute and be directed thereby on to the table 14 to depress same.

23 are slots formed in the chute 21 similar to the slots 16 already mentioned.

24 are fingers secured to the shaft 5 and in line with the slots 16 and 23 so that when the shaft is rotated the fingers 24.will pass through the slots and come in contact with a coin lying on the table 14. the coin being shown dotted in Fig. 2.

25 is a spring member secured to the base 2 and engaging the teeth of the wheel 6 so as to prevent backward movement of the wheel.

26 is an opening through one side of the seen.

27 is a glass covering the opening 26.

28 is a-v disk of any suitable material secured on the inside of the box and extending across the opening 26 and behind the glass 27, on which disk is marked in approved fashion an index showing the number of paid calls the device is capable of registering for a certain fixed sum.

29 is. a pointer which passes through a central opening in the disk 28 and which is secured into the end of shaft 5 to be rotated therewith, which pointer indicates at a glance the number of calls used by the subscriber from the time the coin was placed on the table 14.

30 is an electric wire from the magnet 7 tio one of the telephone circuit wires, 31 in 32 is a wire from the table 14. l

33 is a wire from the terminal 18, which wire is ground in any suitable manner.

34 is a wire which completes the magnet circuit, being connected at one end to the wire 31 of the telephone circuit, its other end being connected to a battery 35.

36 is a switch placed at a suitable point in the magnet circuit to make or break same.

37 is a "tell-tale lamp which indicates by flashing when the magnet circuit is comp ete.

38 is a ground wire from the other pole of battery 35.

Having thus indicated the principal parts of. my invention I will now describe the manner in which vit operates.' My device is placed near the telephone inany suitable position and connected to the telephone circuit in any approved fashion. A-lthou h a method wiring is shown in Fig. 4, 1t is lintended that this Ashouldillustrabe'any vspe'zcificsystemithis view is only indicative offf the simplest form of connecting up 'mL device and"r 'serres to show the'mechanical operation of the device itself rather 'than v ()peltitoli of any entire System. lVith magnet to the this in mind, refer now to Fig. 4, in which the device is located in a home or oliice near thepsubscribes telephone, while the wire 34 leads to the battery 35, which is located in the central operating station, as also is the switch 36 and the lamp 37, the switch being under control of, and the lamp in sight of, the operator. Referring now to Figs. 1 and 4, it will be seen that a complete electrical circuit is obtained when the table 14 is in contact with the cap 20 of the terminal 18 and the switch 36 closed, the current then passing from the battery 35 through the switch 36, the lamp 37, the wire 34, part of the wire 31, the wire 30, the magnet 7, the wire 32, the table 14, the terminal 18, and the ground wire 33, the other ground wire 38 completing the circuit., It will also he seen that this circuit is automatically broken when the table 14 is free of the cap 20, so`that although the switch 36 is closed by the operator no current will pass, and this will be indicated by the lamp 37, which will not flash. Since the operation of the device depends on the completion of the 1nagnet circuit it will be evident that the table 14 must be always in the depressed position and in contact with the cap 20 before the circuit can be completed by the closing of' the switch 36 by the operator, and in order to depress the table a coin, representing the amount fixed by the telephone 'company as payment for a fixed number of calls, must be passed through the opening onto the table, which, as hereinbefore mentioned, is adapted to be depressed bythe weight of' such a coin. Assuming therefore that the required coin is resting on the table 14 depressing same, that fifty calls are allowed for such a coin, and that the pointer 29 is at the starting point, the o eration is as `follows The subscribe:- cal s up Ythe operator, asking for a number in the usual manner. Before connecting the party calling to the party called, the operator closes the switch 36, completing the magnet circuit as already described. 'lhe current, passing through the magnet 7, energizes saine, caus'rng the lever 8 to be drawn down against the pole of the magnet, so that the pawl 9, being normally engaged in one of the teeth of' the wheel 6, forces the wheel around a sufficient amount to cause the pointer 29 to register one call on the index andalso moves at the same time the shaft 5 andthe fingers '24 a corresponding amount. On. the switch being opened again by the operator the magnet is de-magnetized, and the'spring 13 draws the lever 8up against the stop 12, the pawl 9 also rising with the lever to be forced'into enga ement with the succeeding tooth of whee4 6 by the `spring 10. Each time a Vcall is made b the subscriber this operation is repeated,.,Y rom which it willbe evident that the'wheel 6, shaft 5, and fingers 24, and also the pointer 29 will, by a series of such operations, he turned through a complete circle in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that at a certain point of this travel the lingers Q4 will come in contact with the coin neming on the table 14, and as the movement of the fingers continues they will carr the coin before them and finally throw it .o the .table into the bottom of the box l, as indicated in Fig. 1. The arrangement of the fingers 24 with relation to the other parts of the .device is such that when the last call, or in the case under illustration, the tiftieth call, is registered, they will tip the coin o6 the table. As soon as the coin leaves the table, the spring 417 forces the table upward, breaking t e magnet circuit, the circuit remaining broken at this point until another coin has been placed on the table. In the event of the subscriber calling the operator and asking for a number there being no com on the mbit, uns wiu im indicated to the operator when closing switch 36 to register the call, since, the circuit being broken at the table, the tell-tale `i lamp 3 will-.not Hash and the operator will not conneet the parties until it is shown b the flashing of the lamp that the require coin has been placed on the table of the device in the office or home of the party calling, thus enabling the parties to bc connected and the call to be registered against the party calling.

The box 1 may be opened by an agent of the telephone compan and the coins repre senting registered cal collected from time to time.

It will be seen, therefore, that I have devised a Simple means of insuring that every call is paid for, thereby eliminating entirely the loss of revenue suffered by telephone companies at the present time from calls which are not paid for.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A telephone call registering device comprising a casing, a base within the casing, an electro-magnet supported on the said base, a rotatably supported shaft, a toothed wheel secured on the said shaft, a lever swingably carried by the shaft normally free of the magnet and adapted to depressed by the magnet when magnetized, means for returning the said lever to its normal position when the magnet is demagnetized. a, pawl operated by the said lever and normally engaging the said toothed wheel so as to impart progressive movement thereto at each depression of the lever, an

electric terminal carried by the base, an`

electrical conducting table hingedly sup ported on the base adapted to be depressed to make contact with the said terminal, by the weight of a coin when placed on the table and to be freed from contact with the terminal when the coin is removed, means for directing a coin from outside the said casing on to the said table, means carried by the said shaft for removing the coin from the table at a predetermined point in the i rotation of the said shaft, and means fory magnetizing and de-magnetzing the said magnet.

2. A telephone call registering device, comprising a casing, a base removably carried within the casing, an electromagnet supported on the said base, a rotatably supported shaft, a toothed wheel Secured on said shaft, a lever swngably carried by the shaft and having its extremity above the said magnet and normally free therefrom, said lever heilig adapted to be depressed by the magnetizing of the magnet, means for returning the lever to its normal position when the magnet is dc-inagnetized, a pawl operated by the said leverl and normallir engaging the said toothed wheel to impart a progressive movement thereto at each depression of the lever, means for preventing )aekward movement of the said wheel, a vertically adjustable electrical terminal carried by the said base, an electrical conducting table hingedly supported on the base and adapted 'to be depressed by a suitable coin when placed thereon so as to make contant with said terminal and said magnet and to break contact therebetween when the coin is removed, members carried by the said shaft adapted to engage a coin on the said table and to remove same therefrom at a predetermined point in the rotation of the said shaft, means for magnetizing and de magnetizing the said magnet, and means for indicating the position of the said members with relation to the said table at any time.

3. In a telephone call registering device, the combination with a normally broken electrical circuit, means for supplying current thereto, and hand operated means for making and breaking the circuit, of a suitably supported index card, each index mark thereon representing one telephone call, a pointer extending centrally through the card to indicate on the face thereof, electromagnetic means adapted to impart progressive movement to the said pointer so that it will move successively from one index niark to the other, said electro-magnetic means being operated by the making and breaking of the electrical circuit by the hand operated moans, a coin receiving plate adapted to prevent the operation of the said electromagnetic means unless a coin is present on the plate, and means for removing the coin automatically from the plate when the pointer has completed a predetermined travel.

4. A telephone call registering device, comprising, a casing having a coin slot in one end and an opening in one side, an index card closing said opening, a base removably carried within said casing, an electro-magnet on said base, a bracket on each side of the base and opposite to each other, a shaft rotatably supported in said brackets, a toothed wheel secured on said shaft, a lever swingably carried on said shaft and having its extremity above said magnet and normally free therefrom', said lever being adapted to be depressed by the magnetizing of the magnet, a vertical post member secured to the base provided with a stop portion engaging the lever in its normal position, a spring extending from the upper end of the said post member and connected to said lever, a pawl operated by the lever and normally engaging the said toothed wheel to move same in one direction at each depression of the lever, means for preventing opposite movement of the toothed wheel, an electrical terminal carried by the base, said terminal being provided with an upwardly extending threaded portion and having an interioi'ly threaded cap fitting the Said p0rticn and rotatable thereon, an electrical conducting slotted plate hingedly supported on said base in an approximately horizontal position, one end of said' plate'being normally in connection with said magnet and its opposite end being above said terminal ain normally free therefrom, said plate being adapted to be depressed when a coin is present thereon so that its free end will contact with said cap, a coin chute between the coin slot and the said plate, fingers on the said shaft adapted to engage a coin on the plate to throw the coin therefrom at a predetermined oint of their travel, a pointer operated) by said shaft extending centrally through said index card to indicate on the face thereof, and means for magnetizing and de-magnetizing the said magnet.

5. A telephone call re isterin device comprising a graduated inex car a travelin pointer co-acting therewith, a normaliy open electric circuit, a switch interposed in the circuit and com osed of a stationary terminal member, a epressible terminal member designed to receive and be depressed by the weight of a coin, a manually operatedswitch also interposed in the circuit, mechanism operated by each closing of the circuit for imparting a step-by-step movement to the pointer, and means for automatically relieving the depreible terminal member of the weight of the coin coincident with the arrival of the pointer at the last indicator graduation, as and for the purpose specified.

6. A telephone call registering device com rising a graduated index card, a rotata le pointer co-acting therewith,a ratchet wheel to which the pointer is connected, a

normally open circuit, an electric magnet located in the circuit, a spring held armature o-acting therewith, a pawl carried by the armature and co-acting with the ratchet wheel, a switch located in the circuit and designed to receive and be operated by the weight of a coin, a manually operated switch also located in the circuit and automatic means operated at the end of the rotary movement of the pointer for relievin the coin operated switch of the weight o the coin, as and for the purpose specified.

7. A telephone call registering device comprising a graduated index card, a traveling pointer co-acting therewith, a normally open circuit, a p ate swingably mounted at one end and to which a circuit terminal is connected, a stationary terminal contact from which the other circuit terminal leads, means for holding the plate in a normally horizontal position, a manually operated switch also interposed in the circuit, a finger, and means for operatin the finger to sweep the coin ofi' the plate wen the pointer arrives at the last graduation, as and for the purpose specified..

8. A telephone call registering device comprising a graduated index card, a rotary pointer co-acting therewith, a rotatable shaft carrying the pointer, a normally open circuit, means operated by the closed circuit for rotating the shaft by a step-by-step movement, fingers carried by the rotating shaft, a tiltably mounted longitudinally slotted plate through which the ends of the fingers are designed to travel and to which a circuit terminal is connected, a stationary terminal member to which the opposing circuit terminal is connected. and a manually operated switch also interposed in the circuit, as and for the purpose specified.

9. In a telephone call registering device as described,'the combination with a normally open electric circuit and a coin operated circuit closure therefor comprising a stationary terminal member and a depressible terminal member designed to receive a coin and to be depressed by the weight thereof, of means for automatically relieving the said depressible member of the weight of the coin at predetermined intervals, said means comprising a rotatably mounted shaft, fingers on said shaft, and electromagnetic means adapted to be set in operation by the closing of the normally open circuit to rotate the said shaft.

10. In a tele hone call registering device as described, the combination with a normallyv open electric circuit and a coin operated circuit closure therefor comprising a late swingably mounted at one enc and designed to receive a coin and a terminal a ainst which the said plate is depressed by tlige weight of the coin of a rotatably mounted shaft, a finger on said shaft and elec- Dated at Vancouver, B. C., this 24th day tro-magnetic means adapted to be set in of September, 1914 operation by the closing of the normally VCTOR THOMPSON. open circuit to rotate said shaft and said Witnesses: 5 finger so as to sweep the coin off the said JAMES TAYLOR,

plate at a predetermined interval. Amun H. Cowmmo. 

